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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29197989">Burning Memories, Childish Dreams</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepurpledragon4444/pseuds/thepurpledragon4444'>thepurpledragon4444</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Brotp, Childhood Memories, Childhood Trauma, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Nightmares, Post-Canon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:34:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,222</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29197989</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepurpledragon4444/pseuds/thepurpledragon4444</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>We open on a dream, a memory. Cinder says she doesn’t remember her childhood with Winter and Jacin, but her subconscious may still have some memories. Fluff for Cinder, Winter and Jacin as a brotp plus some Kai. Kaider and Jacinter fluff, post-canon.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jacin Clay/Winter Hayle-Blackburn, Kai &amp; Winter Hayle-Blackburn, Kai/Linh Cinder, Linh Cinder &amp; Jacin Clay, Winter Hayle-Blackburn &amp; Linh Cinder, Winter Hayle-Blackburn &amp; Linh Cinder &amp; Jacin Clay</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Burning Memories, Childish Dreams</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>Cinder could hear a baby crying. It was dark and she couldn’t tell where the sound was coming from.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Selene, stop crying,” a small voice whined.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>She opened her eyes, the light flooding her tear-filled view.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Four-year-old Jacin crouched in front of her, his hands over his ears. The wails were coming from her and her eight-month-old body.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Little Winter, no older than two, kneeled next to her and brought her face close to her own. She placed a finger on her lips, “Shhhhhhh!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>The hot breath and spittle on her face did nothing to soothe Selene, rather it made her cry even louder.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Then Jacin crouched in front of her and brought his hands up to cover his face. Then he opened his hands and gave a big smile.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Peek-a-boo!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Selene’s sobs began to quiet as Jacin repeated this again and again. Winter stared at him as he did this with the curiosity of a child before bringing her small hands up to her face as well.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Peek-boo!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>She stuttered through the words. But it had worked. Selene finally began to giggle. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>She giggled and giggled until her laugh began to change. Her voice changed from that of an infant to that of a toddler. With a blink, the scene around them changed as well.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Be quiet or Winter will find us,” Jacin’s words were clearer but his voice was still childish. Selene, barely three years old, covered her mouth to stop herself from giggling. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>The two of them were playing hide and seek with Winter and had hidden behind Everet Hayle’s bed.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Sorry,” Selene whispered, a bit too loudly for six-year-old Jacin’s taste. He immediately shushed her again but at the sight of her laughing smile, he began to laugh as well. Soon they were both in giggling fits.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Then Winter jumped up in front of them, “Gotcha!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Selene and Jacin shrieked with laughter and Winter began to chase them around the castle. Selene’s short legs allowed Winter to catch up with her and grab her. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Now Winter and Jacin ran while Selene chased. They rounded a corner and Selene was sure that she had caught up to them.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>But instead of her friends, Selene found two piles of ash in the shape of her friends.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>She screamed. The walls turned to flame. It was so hot. She couldn’t stop screaming.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Don’t be afraid little niece.” </i>
</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>Cinder jolted awake drenched in sweat. Her heart thundered wildly and she was breathing heavily.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?” Kai asked, his voice groggy and tired, “Bad dream?”</p>
<p>“Yeah but I can’t remember what happened,” she told him, running her hand through her hair, “I think I was laughing but then… it got hot.”</p>
<p>He sat up next to her and held her metal hand in his, “Don’t worry. You’re safe here.”</p>
<p>“I know,” she said, rubbing her thumb on her husband’s hand.</p>
<p>“Now get some rest,” Kai lay back down, “Jacin and Winter are coming to visit in the morning.”</p>
<p>Cinder lay down too, the nightmare already leaving her. It wasn’t long until she fell asleep.</p>
<p>The next morning Cinder woke up fresh and ready for the new day. When Jacin and Winter arrived, the dream was already long forgotten.</p>
<p>Even almost six years after the rebellion, the old rampion crew were still close friends and met up often. They were practically family after all. </p>
<p>This is why it was no rare occurrence for Jacin and Winter to visit Kai and Cinder in the palace. </p>
<p>“Cinder! Kai!” Winter ran up to them and threw her arms around the couple, “It’s been too long, friends.”</p>
<p>“We saw them two weeks ago,” Jacin scoffed, but moved to hug them too. Cinder remembered that mere years ago Jacin would never even consider hugging anyone other than Winter or his parents. Cinder was secretly proud of how far he had come.</p>
<p>“Two weeks is way too long,” Winter complained as they four of them moved to the parlour. </p>
<p>“Agreed,” Kai chimed in, “Back in the good old days we’d see each other every day aboard the Rampion.”</p>
<p>“We were wanted criminals back then,” Cinder deadpanned, “I wouldn’t exactly call them ‘the good old days’”</p>
<p>This caused the group to begin to reminisce about their time on the Rampion. The time speeded by and before they knew it, it was time for them to eat lunch.</p>
<p>As they ate lunch in the dining room, Winter looked out of the large window displaying the courtyard wistfully.</p>
<p>“It’s such a beautiful day out,” she sighed, “Why don’t we sit outside after we’re done eating?”</p>
<p>Cinder and Jacin exchanged a look but Kai clapped his hands together in delight, “Great idea!”</p>
<p>So the four of them went to sit in the courtyard on the hot summer day. Winter skipped around the blooming garden with Kai as Jacin and Cinder sat under a shady tree and talked. </p>
<p>“It’s so hot,” she complained, her brown legs sprawled out and her head on Jacin’s lap. She looked up at her friend in accusation, “This is your wife’s fault.”</p>
<p>“You’re absolutely right it is,” he looked down at her then back up at Winter. He called to her, “Winter, it’s too hot out!”</p>
<p>Winter said something to Kai that Cinder couldn’t catch then grinned at them, “We’ll be right back with something to cool you guys down.”</p>
<p>“I hope they bring lemonade.” Cinder watched them run back into the palace before resuming her conversation with Jacin.</p>
<p>But Cinder and Jacin were in for a surprise when instead of lemonade they got a face-full of water.</p>
<p>“Stars above!” Cinder shrieked and jolted up from Jacin’s lap. She looked up to see their spouses holding water guns with matching mischievous grins on their faces.</p>
<p>“Not too hot now, huh?” Kai laughed before tossing her and Jacin filled water guns of their own, “You’ve got 15 seconds to run.”</p>
<p>She wasted no time in grabbing the gun and running, with Jacin right behind her. They ran from Winter and Kai, occasionally turning around to shoot water at them. Finally, they were able to find a spot to hide and catch their breath.</p>
<p>Cinder could hear Winter and Kai searching for them and she turned to Jacin beside her. However, at the sight of her drenched friend, his shirt stuck to him and his blonde hair darkened, she started to laugh.</p>
<p>“Be quiet or Winter will find us,” Jacin shushed her but as he took in the sight of her own drenched self he began to laugh as well. The two of them stood there trying, unsuccessfully, to hold back giggles when Winter suddenly jumped up in front of them.</p>
<p>“Gotcha!” she yelled. And as she began to shoot water at them, Cinder experienced a weird feeling of déjà vu. But before she could understand the reason, Kai found them as well and shot his wife in the face with water.</p>
<p>“You are going to regret that,” she laughed as she wiped the water off her face to run after him.</p>
<p>The rest of the afternoon was spent this way and by the time Jacin and Winter had to leave all four of them were soaking wet and exhausted. The couple borrowed some dry clothes from Cinder and Kai and left New Beijing.</p>
<p>That night, Cinder didn’t have any nightmares.</p>
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